Sunday business spotlight: Northland Communications

As the new president of Northland Communications, Jim McCarthy has a plan.

MONTANETTE MURPHY

As the new president of Northland Communications, Jim McCarthy has a plan.

He hopes to build on the legacy put in place by his father, Jeremiah McCarthy, and, in a tough economy, be competitive and relevant.

NORTHLAND'S NEW PRESIDENT
Name: Jim McCarthy.

Title: President of Northland Communications.

Education: McCarthy has a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing and management from Siena College and a Master of Science degree in telecommunications from SUNYIT.

Appointed: Jan. 1, 2009.

Length of time at Northland: Since 1993.

Number of employees: 130.

Annual revenues: $25 million.

Address: 317 Court St. in Utica. The company also has locations in East Syracuse, Albany and Holland Patent.

“In the telecommunications industry, there is constantly things changing,” McCarthy said. “So we have to continue to stay on top of that and make sure we have the right technologies and partners.”

The company, founded in 1905 and known originally as Oneida County Rural Telephone Co., today provides telecommunications services to local businesses.

Jim McCarthy began working at the company in 1993 as an assistant manager who oversaw the day-to-day operations of Oneida County Rural Telephone, which now is one of the divisions that make up Northland Communications.

Oneida County Rural Telephone is located in Holland Patent and serves 3,000 residential and commercial customers there and in surrounding communities.